1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention, broadly, is that of magnetic information storage equipment, particularly of types adapted for use in micro and mini computers. The field of the invention is more particularly concerned with the assembly and/or fabrication of components of recording and pickup mechanism for flexible disc records.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,139,876 and 4,170,146 are exemplary of units or assemblies embodying drive mechanism for a flexible disc on which information is magnetically recorded with an associated magnetic head. In the contemporary state of the art, it is now common-place to use two magnetic heads, one on each side of the disc record.
In the contemporary state of the art components or subcomponents of an information storage unit may be separately fabricated or produced and then marketed to a vendee who assembles the subcomponent or component into its own product.
Certain components, such as for example, the arm which carries the magnetic head, that is the magnetic slider head and the gimbal or gimbal plate must be assembled with the parts in precision alignment and fabricated, that is the parts must be then joined or bonded together while maintaining the precision alignment and positioning. Typically, the parts are very small and difficult to handle or manipulate by hand, particularly, where the precision alignments and positioning are required and where the taking of measurements might be necessary.
There exists an unfilled need in the art for tooling and methods or techniques to faciliate the alignment, assembly, and fabrication of a component of the type referred to. The prior art is lacking in tooling and methods as stated, particularly, fixtures or fixturing whereby the alignment and positioning as well as actual joining or fabrication of the parts can be facilitated and expedited by way of eliminating wholly manual handling, positioning, aligning, and joint of parts.
The herein invention seeks to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and to fill the unfilled needs, an exemplary form of the invention being described in detail hereinafter.